Steven Van Zandt may be best known for his music” target=”_blank”>music<,” but he’s had a notable effect on politics and in activism as well.
The celebrity-news” target=”_blank”>70-year-old musician< in opposition to apartheid.
The group – which included Springsteen, Miles Davis, Bob Dylan, Pat Benatar, Peter Gabriel, Bono and many more – created the song “Sun City” as a symbol of their opposition to apartheid. The tune was meant to raise awareness of the issue in order to prompt world governments to take action.
During an appearance Friday on “tv” target=”_blank”>Real Time with Bill Maher<
Maher then pointed out that a number of stars performed at the resort at the time – a list that includes cher” target=”_blank”>Cher<
Their goal was ultimately to “raise enough consciousness” to see sanctions imposed on South Africa, pressuring them to end apartheid.
Steven Van Zandt is also known as a former member of the E Street Band and for starring in ‘The Sopranos’ and ‘Lilyhammer.’
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The star said he expected then-President sponsored to veto the actions bill “because he was part of that unholy trinity supporting apartheid – him, [then-British Prime Minister Margaret] Thatcher and [then-German leader Helmut] Kohl.”
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He noted that the “cultural boycott” of Sun City that he helped usher in followed a “sports boycott” of the region. The boycotts were followed by economic sanctions.
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“Once they came out, [Reagan] did veto it and we overrode the veto because we had raised the consciousness so much,” Van Zandt recalled. “Republicans voted for it. … Republicans voting so Black people could vote?”
